LG Chapter 43

Translator: SheWee

—

Chapter: 43

Kyungsoo was only able to escape from Noeul and return to his apartment by evening.

In truth, Noeul had pestered him to stay over, but after that kiss in the morning, Kyungsoo felt strange and forcibly detached himself. All he had done the entire day was laze around the house and play with Noeul, who tirelessly hovered around him. Yet, he felt completely drained.

“…Haah.”

Or perhaps, it was because of what Noeul whispered in his ear just before he left the house. When Kyungsoo heard those words, he’d reflexively shot him a “Fuck you.” It felt as if he’d aged ten years in an instant.

> “I looked it up, and it seems like it’s possible for two men.”

> “What’s possible?”

> “I’m confident.”

> “Is there anything you’re not confident about? And confident about what?”

> “What else could it be?”

Se—

“Ugh! Aaaaah! Crazy asshole… insane! Aaaaah! Fuck it! I’m seriously screwed!”

Kyungsoo buried his face into his pillow and repeatedly banged his fist on the bed. He wished he couldn’t remember, but it was etched clearly in his mind. Worse, Noeul had caught him reacting to it. As soon as he recalled it, he let out an “Ah!” and sighed. Noeul, catching on, giggled and planted a brief kiss on the corner of his lips.

And then…

> “Thanks for coming today.”

The warmth in Noeul’s voice was like the sunshine on a spring day.

Kyungsoo lay sprawled on his back, staring at the ceiling with a hand pressed to his chest. He squeezed his eyes shut. Maybe it was because he hadn’t seen him in so long, but even with his eyes closed, Noeul’s smiling face lingered in his vision.

His soft, brown hair that slipped through Kyungsoo’s fingers when he ruffled it. His pale, porcelain skin that seemed like it would bruise at the slightest touch. The way he stubbornly squeezed his eyes shut, demanding kisses. The blush that crept to his eyes despite his bold demeanor. His teasingly curled lips. His lips… those red lips that smelled sweet.

“…”

Cautiously, Kyungsoo brought his hand to his own lips and brushed them with his fingertips. After a moment of hesitation, he pressed his lips to his palm. Then, as if jolted by electricity, he shook his head violently and flung his hand away.

> “Hyung, what about you? Do you dislike me?”

Isn’t it normal to dislike this?

> “I like you.”

It should be normal…

> “What about you, hyung?”

I…

Kyungsoo furrowed his brows and clenched his fists tightly.

…I don’t like him.

—

“Hyung, you’ve been acting weird lately,” Noeul mumbled, resting his chin on Kyungsoo’s shoulder. Startled by the closeness, Kyungsoo reflexively stomped on Noeul’s foot with his heel.

“Ow… see? You’re really weird. You flinch every time I get close.”

“S-sorry.”

“Is sorry enough? Kiss me.”

Noeul lowered his gaze slightly, pouting as he puckered his lips. What a lunatic… Kyungsoo stomped on the same spot again, causing Noeul to yelp and pout his lips further. He should count himself lucky Kyungsoo didn’t whack him with the mug he was holding. Instead, Kyungsoo sipped from the warm cup, eyeing Noeul.

At one point, they had been around the same height, but now it seemed like Noeul had grown taller. Kyungsoo scrutinized him and remarked, “You’ve grown taller.”

“Have I? Or maybe you’ve shrunk… sorry.”

Startled, Noeul immediately apologized. Kyungsoo, blinking in surprise, couldn’t even get mad. …He hadn’t even hit him yet. From the outside, someone might think Noeul lived under constant abuse.

Turning on his computer, Kyungsoo sat in front of it and booted it up. Noeul, as usual, took the seat next to him and tilted his head, gazing at Kyungsoo sideways.

“So, when are we doing it?”

Noeul pointed to the notorious agreement that had been carefully laminated and placed under the glass on the desk. Following his finger, Kyungsoo glanced at it indifferently and replied, “In 7,500 years.”

“What?”

Fortunately, the agreement only read:

> “If you find a way for two men to have sex, ♡Kim Kyungsoo♡ will personally test it out with Cheon Noeul!”

In other words—

“It doesn’t say when we have to do it.”

“It doesn’t…?”

“Yeah, idiot.”

For Kyungsoo, that was a relief. He raised his chin triumphantly, smirking at Noeul. Noeul, however, stayed silent for a moment before disappearing into the room and returning with a permanent marker.

“…”

That cheerful smile was a harbinger of disaster. The sound of the cap popping off was followed by Noeul pouncing toward the agreement. What ensued was a chaotic struggle as Kyungsoo fought to stop Noeul from adding anything else to the paper.

“Get lost! What are you even trying to add now?”

“I can’t live for 7,500 years… ow! That hurts!”

After an exhausting battle to protect the desk, Kyungsoo managed to shove Noeul—now with a marker-streaked hand—into the bathroom. Only then could he breathe a sigh of relief.

‘DefenseMinister has logged into the game.’

Kyungsoo had intended to log in Noeul’s account first before switching to his own, but the moment he entered Noeul’s alternate account, the Melody guild chat exploded with laughter.

[Guild] anamato: Haha Omg Guild Leader-nim LOLOLOL WTF HAHAHA

[Guild] Seolyoung: Suns LOLOLOL

[Guild] SpadeQueen: LOLOLOL Stop laughing LOLOL This is serious LOLOLOL

[Guild] Seolyoung: Then why are you laughing, oppa?

[Guild] SpadeQueen: It’s not my problem, so it’s hilarious HAHA

[Guild] Aslen: Heh Seriously, no fear….

[Guild] SpadeQueen: Exactly LOLOL Why pick a fight with that Sunbal…;;

[Guild] Aslen: ? They’re talking about you though…?

[Guild] Seolyoung: LOLOL WTF LOLOL

[Guild] Aslen: Sunset-nim, check your main account’s inbox.

What now? While staring at the chat scrolling past, Kyungsoo noticed Noeul drying his hands and coming to sit beside him. He had apparently grabbed a permanent marker, and the ink hadn’t completely come off.

Even his hands looked pretty… Following the delicate, long fingers without a single blemish, Kyungsoo jolted out of his trance and looked away.

“Hyung, what’s wrong?”

“…Looks like someone’s picking a fight with you.”

“What, like that’s new?*”

Noeul muttered indifferently, clearly unfazed. However, whether Noeul cared or not, Kyungsoo was now invested in finding out who was behind this. Pressing the Esc key, he switched to Sunset, and immediately a new mail notification popped up.

‘Sunset has logged into the game.’

‘You have received new mail. Please check your inbox.’

—

[Inbox]

Sender: InvisibleMan

Title: Payback

Content: Returning what you gave me when you apologized. Let’s settle this cleanly with a deletion duel^^

Attachment: 10 hardtack biscuits (food item)

—

An apology? After thinking for a few seconds, Kyungsoo recalled something from a month ago—GreenAppleCheong. It had been so long that it took him a moment to connect the dots. InvisibleMan was a member of the Doom guild and likely its vice leader.

“Did something happen between you and that asshole?” Kyungsoo asked bluntly, disliking InvisibleMan already.

“Hm? Nothing at all.”

“Not even after Green—uh, whatever their name was—left the guild?”

Noeul pondered briefly before shaking his head.

“Nope, nothing.”

So, it was just random provocation. How annoying. Kyungsoo frowned as he reread the mail, noticing the attached items.

“…Why the hell did they send you ten hardtack biscuits?”

“Just ten? I actually sent them about a hundred. Guess they ate the rest?”

“A hundred?” Kyungsoo echoed, incredulous.

“…”

Fuck. For a moment, Kyungsoo felt an explosion of irritation. Why dredge up something from a month ago and target innocent Noeul? If they were bored, why not pick a fight with our guild instead of him? His face twisted in anger, and Noeul, noticing this, gave him a sly smile.

“Hyung. Are you worried about me?”

Kyungsoo let out a short laugh. “Ha, no?”

Sunset. Sunshit. Sunbal. The player with all these unpleasant nicknames didn’t need anyone’s concern. If anything, Noeul would handle it in his own… unconventional way.

“Then why do you look like that?”

“…Look like what?” Kyungsoo blinked at him.

“See? You are worried.”

Kyungsoo scowled at Noeul’s amused expression, but the latter covered his mouth, stifling laughter.

“Cut it out! I said it’s not like that!”

“Sure, sure.”

Noeul got up with a grin. “There’s some cake left. Should I bring it?”

“Only if you want to eat it.”

“And you, hyung?”

“If you bring it, I’ll eat.”

As soon as Noeul left, Kyungsoo logged into his main account, where the guild chat was alive with similar chatter.

—

[Guild] neutaaaa: LOLOL Does the guild leader know? Depending on the mail content, this could escalate into a guild war.

[Guild] Ji9star: Haha, someone said this is a new suicide method HAHAHAHA

[Guild] ParkRoach: True though LOLOLOLOL

[Guild] PoseidonLeader: If InvisibleMan wins…

[Guild] : ?

[Guild] al0ha: ?

[Guild] ParkRoach: Impeachment;;

[Guild] Ji9star: That’s right!

[Guild] neutaaaa: That’s right × 2

[Guild] HalloweenEggplant: × 3 But we reconciled back then, didn’t we? Why bring this up now LOLOL

[Guild] PoseidonLeader: It’s just my little dream, that’s all^^;

—

Kyungsoo was baffled at how they knew about the mail content. Before asking them, he checked the game’s forums on a hunch. Sure enough, mid-second page, there was a post from InvisibleMan.

Title: Sunset

Author: InvisibleMan/Hero

Content: Check your inbox.

(18 comments)

– What’s this?

– ??

– …A confession?

└InvisibleMan: It’s a warning, idiot LOL Who’d confess to them? ^ㅗ^

└Lol confession? Are you sane? LMFAO

└Let’s be real, would you confess to Sunset?

– Just DM them instead of using this cursed nickname. Say it three times and they might actually get summoned…

└2222

└LOLOL 33

└Is Sunset the devil? Afraid of summoning them or what LMAO

– Are you picking a fight? LOL

└InvisibleMan: Yup.

└Wow, was just asking lol.

└???????

└You’re insane.

└Are you suicidal? Why fight Sunset? Just accept your death quietly…

└Suicide method LMAO

“……”

Neither the guild members nor other players questioned why the InvisibleMan was suddenly picking a fight with Sunset. Instead, they were simply thrilled at the prospect of a fight breaking out.

If only Kyungsoo didn’t know Cheon Noeul, he might’ve been able to enjoy it too. Kyungsoo glanced sideways. Noeul was focused on carefully plating the cake, completely engrossed. There was still some time.

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: Hey.

Before Noeul returned, Kyungsoo sent a whisper to the invisible player. The reply came quickly.

[Whisper] InvisibleMan: …?

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: Whisper again after 10 PM.

[Whisper] InvisibleMan: ?? Why whisper…?

[Whisper] InvisibleMan: ;;;;; Fine, okay.

Kyungsoo knew the fallout would be intense if Noeul caught him secretly chatting. Burying all traces of his conversation with the invisible user in the guild chat before Noeul returned, Kyungsoo nonchalantly thanked Noeul as he set the snacks down.

“Wow… So they’re really not accepting guild members anymore? Looks like they’re serious this time.”

Noeul spoke in an amused tone, his screen displaying the party matching interface. The guild recruitment party for “Doom” always appeared on the first page, but today, its name had been changed to “XXNo More Guild RecruitsXX.”

[Whisper] Invisible Man: Hey, answer me.

Come to think of it, he had read the mail but hadn’t replied yet. Kyungsoo pointed to the bottom of the screen.

“…You got a whisper.”

Noeul glanced at the bottom of the screen and answered nonchalantly.

“It’s invisible, so I can’t see it.”

“Hey.”

“Do you… want me to fight them?”

Then I’ll fight… If that’s what you want, I can’t help it. Noeul trailed off, pretending to be pitiful. Anyone overhearing would think he was being coerced. Kyungsoo shook his head in disbelief.

“No, I was just saying you got a whisper. Ignore it if you don’t want to reply.”

“Got it!”

And so, Noeul completely ignored the invisible user.

[Whisper] Invisible Man: Hey.

[Whisper] Invisible Man: ??

[Whisper] Invisible Man: WTF, can’t you hear me?

[Whisper] Invisible Man: I know you read the mail; just reply.

[Whisper] Invisible Man: Hey!!!!!!!!!!

[Whisper] Invisible Man: Sunset.

[Whisper] Invisible Man: Sunset, please just check it once.ㅠㅠ

[Whisper] Invisible Man: Are you blind, you dumb—?!

[Whisper] Invisible Man: A pack of bean sprouts, two blocks of tofu, and corn soup…

[Whisper] Invisible Man: Damn, you’re really not replying.

If he wasn’t going to respond, he could’ve at least blocked them. Treating them like they were truly invisible, Noeul wandered the field while completely ignoring their increasingly desperate messages.

—

By reducing Noeul’s punishment from 7,500 years to just 7,000, Kyungsoo managed to secure a promise: Noeul wouldn’t log back into the game tonight and would instead go to bed obediently. Thanks to that, when Kyungsoo returned home and logged in, all of Noeul’s characters were offline. It was immensely satisfying.

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: Huh? Cheon Noeul went to bed?

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: ? I know.

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: He said you went to bed too, lol.

“……”

If Noeul found out Kyungsoo had secretly logged in at night, he’d relentlessly interrogate him about what he’d been doing. While lying wasn’t difficult, the thought alone was already exhausting.

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: Zzzzzz…

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: Must’ve been tired, lol.

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: zzzzz…

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: Hmm… Earlier, Noeul said he’d give a billion won if I reported you logging in.

“……”

So Noeul even set up surveillance before going to bed? Kyungsoo could only chuckle bitterly at Noeul’s persistence.

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: So what do you want?

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: What can you offer me? Let me hear your pitch before I decide whether to talk.

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: Just tell me, you little—!

Kyungsoo opened the party matching screen to check if the “Doom” party was still up. Sure enough, the invisible user was still listed as a participant, meaning they were still online.

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: Lol, okay, fine, I won’t tell. But what were you sneaking on for?

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: Couldn’t sleep, so I logged in for a bit before heading back to bed.

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: Then there’s no way you could’ve gotten Noeul to sleep, lol.

Wow, this guy was sharper than he looked. Kyungsoo had always seen SpadeQueen as someone perpetually getting steamrolled by Noeul, so this was surprising.

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: Fine, I’ll explain. Just don’t tell Noeul you saw me.

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: Sure, pinky swear!

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: Yeah, right.

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: Lol, why don’t you trust me?ㅠ Fine, I swear on my fully upgraded weapon.

SpadeQueen swapped his equipment as proof, showcasing a shiny spear with an impressive glowing effect, indicative of a rare enhancement. It looked trustworthy enough.

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: I wanted to ask the invisible user why they’re targeting Sunset. Apparently, they even mentioned character deletion.

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: What? Character deletion?! Who said that?

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: It was in the mail they sent.

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: Oh, lol. Normally, infiltrating their guild would reveal everything, but they’ve closed recruitment.

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: Why would you infiltrate?

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: Noeul made me.ㅠ

Come to think of it, Noeul had even created a new character to infiltrate “Doom” during the Green Apple incident. It wasn’t his first rodeo.

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: So you’ve been in their guild before?

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: Yeah, back when they challenged Poseidon to a character deletion duel last year. I had to relay their chats—it was exhausting.ㅠ

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: But thanks to that, I’m still the sub-guild leader, lol.

Using his guild rank as leverage again, it seemed. Typical Noeul. However, Kyungsoo couldn’t deny that Noeul’s intel about the jungle map had been helpful.

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: Noeul must’ve had his reasons.

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: Wait, are you taking his side?

It wasn’t about taking sides. Kyungsoo simply understood now that Noeul wasn’t the type to act recklessly without a plan.

[Whisper] Invisible Man: What do you want?

[Whisper] Invisible Man: ??

The invisible user whispered right on time—10 PM sharp, as Kyungsoo had requested. They weren’t on good terms, so Kyungsoo carefully considered his words. He needed to avoid provoking hostility and redirect their animosity toward Noeul.

[Whisper] Invisible Man: You called, and now you’re ghosting me? WTF.

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: Meet me at the second floor of the clock tower in Guild Zone, Channel 1.

[Whisper] Invisible Man: Got it.

Kyungsoo delivered the message and headed to the Guild Zone on Channel 1. As it was peak gaming time on a busy channel, the Guild Zone was packed with people. Standing in front of the Clock Tower, Kyungsoo spotted InvisibleMan. Kyungsoo climbed the steps to the top of the Clock Tower first, with InvisibleMan following close behind. Inside the tower, it was unsurprisingly empty—a perfect spot for a discreet meeting.

[Global Chat] InvisibleMan: What’s the deal?

[Global Chat] MeowieMeowMeow: I saw your forum post.

[Global Chat] InvisibleMan: Oh, lol.

[Global Chat] MeowieMeowMeow: I just have a question.

[Global Chat] InvisibleMan: ?

[Global Chat] MeowieMeowMeow: What did Sunset do to deserve a character deletion bet?

[Global Chat] InvisibleMan: ?? How’d you know about the character deletion bet?

[Global Chat] InvisibleMan: Oh, right. You’re that guy’s partner, aren’t you? Lol, what did that idiot tell you?

Kyungsoo furrowed his brows slightly. This was the kind of person who couldn’t say anything without being offensive.

[Global Chat] MeowieMeowMeow: Why are you being so rude?

[Global Chat] InvisibleMan: ㅗ

[Global Chat] MeowieMeowMeow: Take your biscuits back.

Kyungsoo initiated a trade with InvisibleMan to return the ten pieces of biscuits. Although Noeul hadn’t claimed the items from the mail yet, Kyungsoo had bought replacements from the auction house just to return them.

“Trade request denied.”

[Global Chat] InvisibleMan: I thought you were one of the decent ones, lol. Guess you’re as messed up as the rest.

“Shadow Ball!”

InvisibleMan suddenly attacked, prompting Kyungsoo to unsheath his weapon. As a short-range DPS hero, Kyungsoo was at a disadvantage in this confined space. Unsure why the fight had even started, he parried the incoming attacks and began chipping away at InvisibleMan’s HP.

[Global Chat] MeowieMeowMeow: So, “GreenAppleCheong” is a guy?

[Global Chat] MeowieMeowMeow: Why are you acting like this now? Lol.

[Global Chat] InvisibleMan: What’s your point?

[Global Chat] MeowieMeowMeow: ?

[Global Chat] InvisibleMan: If it weren’t for that stupid Sunset, I’d have never known.

[Global Chat] InvisibleMan: Do you even know how kind he was to me?

[Global Chat] MeowieMeowMeow: ???

What does that even matter? He was a guy pretending to be a girl and got caught. InvisibleMan passionately defended GreenAppleCheong’s kindness, but Kyungsoo, who wasn’t interested, simply focused on attacking. Finally, InvisibleMan’s HP dropped to zero, and he collapsed with a loud thud.

[Global Chat] InvisibleMan: You’re just like Sunset now. Congrats.

[Global Chat] MeowieMeowMeow: Who attacked first? Sunset did nothing wrong.

[Global Chat] InvisibleMan: Sociopath couple, congrats.

Kyungsoo’s plan to clear up Noeul’s reputation ultimately failed. Even in the mail InvisibleMan had sent to Noeul, GreenAppleCheong had been mentioned. While Noeul might have teased him a little, the real reason GreenAppleCheong quit was his own fault.

“Why is that asshole blaming Noeul?”

What did Noeul even do wrong? InvisibleMan used a Resurrection Token and stormed out. Clearly, he wasn’t interested in talking further. Kyungsoo frowned. As he left the Clock Tower, his phone rang. It was Noeul. Kyungsoo glanced between the caller ID and his legendary pet, “Noeul♡.” …Had he been caught playing? He quickly muted his speakers and cautiously answered.

“What is it? …You’re not asleep?”

“No, not yet….”

Thankfully, it didn’t seem like he’d been caught. He could hear the faint rustle of blankets as Noeul shifted in bed. True to his word, Noeul was lying down obediently. The thought made Kyungsoo smile quietly.

“I can’t fall asleep.”

“…Yeah? Me neither.”

Kyungsoo parked his character by the portal on the first floor of the Clock Tower and turned off his monitor. Planning to return once Noeul fell asleep, he quietly moved away from his desk. There wasn’t much to say at this hour, and the conversation soon dwindled. After a moment’s thought, Kyungsoo made a suggestion.

“If you can’t sleep… want to play word chain?”

“Sure!”

Noeul eagerly agreed, his excitement evident even over the phone. The sound of rustling indicated he was probably nodding vigorously. The word chain game, meant to lull Noeul to sleep, stretched on for over an hour. They repeated words they’d already used and came up with absurd, nonsensical phrases that made Noeul giggle. Kyungsoo couldn’t help but laugh along, albeit awkwardly.

“…Yaaawn….”

Yawns are contagious, or so they say. It seemed even sleepiness could be passed along.

“…Hyung, I’m getting sleepy now.”

Kyungsoo could tell just by listening. Noeul’s voice was already thick with drowsiness. The thought made him chuckle quietly.

“Alright, sleep well.”

“You too… See you later.”

“See me? When?”

“In your dreams!”

“What nonsense. I don’t dream. Now, go to sleep.”

Lest the conversation wake Noeul up again, Kyungsoo firmly ended the call. Opening his eyes, he stared at the white ceiling. It felt as though Noeul’s voice was carried on the biting winter wind outside.

“Dreams….”

He only dreamed once a week, if that. Still, tonight, he found himself hoping Noeul might appear in his dreams.

---

[T/N:

“What, like that’s new?”

Lol this reminds me of that iconic line:

“You got into Harvard’s Law?”

“What, like it’s hard?”]

---

Okay. Guys this is going to be long so please be prepared.

In the last 2 weeks a LOT has happened to me. I ruined my 2 most important exams, lost my paypal which is the most accepted payment method across all the platforms, rn I don’t even know how I’ll receive payments. And I lost my Patreon account which had almost $300 in the patreon wallet which I couldn’t withdraw—again due to paypal issue—and this is not a small amount, this is a HUGE amount.

I know many of you paid for membership and it’s infuriating that all of sudden you’re not getting what you paid for. First of all I need you to know that I am not a scammer or something. I’ve been trying to figure out a way to determine who are the people who purchased the membership within the span of last one month. So if you’re one of them please send me a screenshot of your payment history which clearly shows:

1. The amount you paid.

2. The name of the creator.

3. The date of the transaction.

DO NOT try to fool me as I can see the paid and non-paid member list I just want to know who purchased the membership when so that I can compensate accordingly.

My Patreon was banned because of Chapter 51 of Love Games. While I am an adult legally my age is a year behind so I’m 17—legally. Due to which I can’t verify my age on patreon and will lose my account on 23rd April. I sent more than a dozen requests through the patreon request centre, begging them to resolve this issue since I deleted the adult content but they never replied. Tbh this was my fault to begin with. At first I was sad but after 2-3 days I came to terms with it. Lost money can be earned back and I can’t stay sad forever.

I made a new patreon—you can access it through novel description just like the previous one. This time I give links to the drive folder directly to avoid any mishap with patreon.

My ko-fi too cannot be used because as I said I lost my paypal and stripe isn’t available for individual use in my country.

There are many more things I want to say but this will get too long. I made a mistake and I learned from it. Thank you for your understanding. If you have any questions at all feel free to ask in the comments.

 

Edit: Just checked and sent a bunch of emails—almost 30— to the paid members. So do check your email inbox!